He began following the truck, which was doing 116 kph in a 80-kph zone, and then activated his lights, prosecutor Nancy Komsa said.

The driver “made an abrupt turn” into a driveway.

When the officer spoke to Mark Norris, he noticed a “very strong odour of alcohol emanating from inside the vehicle,” the assistant Crown attorney said.

Norris was taken to the Thessalon detachment, where he recorded breathalyser readings of 178 and 174 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The 56-year-old man pleaded guilty to impaired driving.

Komsa called for an $1,800 fine because of the high readings.

Duty counsel John Vujnovic told the judge that Norris is a brain injury survivor with a limited income.

Dunn imposed a $1,600 fine and gave him a year to pay.

She also prohibited him from driving for a year.

Also on Monday, another man received a $1,000 monetary penalty following his conviction for operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level exceeding 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Jason Wabigwan, 28, also was banned from getting behind the wheel for 12 months.

He was charged Oct. 6 on Highway 17 B on Garden River First Nation after an OPP officer noticed a vehicle swerve in its lane at 2:20 a.m.

The officer detected a light odour of alcohol when he spoke to the driver, Komsa said.

Wabigwan, who admitted he had consumed three beer, failed a roadside screening test.

His breath tests revealed readings of 160 and 140 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.